When the team arrived back in the twenty-fifth century, they were met at the entrance to the Time Machine by Doctor Williamson.

‘Well, good work to you all’, and turning to Chris he said ‘and especially to you Chris. You’ll have to tell us how you managed to defeat the clone.’

‘I’m not exactly too sure of that myself, Doctor’, Chris said with a puzzled expression and an equally puzzled sound in his voice.

‘Well never mind about all that just now, you all deserve a break after what you’ve been through. We’ll endeavour to get the debriefing over as quickly as possible so that you can enjoy a well earned rest this afternoon. If you could all meet outside briefing room one in ten minutes, we’ll begin then.

They all arrived at the meeting room, and found some fresh orange juice on the table and sandwiches and biscuits on plates, which they all dived into without being asked. Doctor Williamson came out and saw each of them individually in the meeting room and each of them gave a detailed account of all that had happened to them.

After a while, Doctor Williamson called Chris into the room and Chris recounted all that he’d seen and done, even when he’d been under the influence of the clone. After he’d finished giving the Doctor all the details that were required, Chris took the chance to ask the Doctor a few questions of his own.

‘Doctor, despite being under the clone’s influence, why couldn’t I stand to see the others being hurt? I mean, while I was under his spell I seemed to believe everything he was saying to me about the perfect world that he was going to create, but at the same time I didn’t believe what he was saying. And also, how was I able to stop the clone when I shouted at him like I did?

The doctor replied, ‘You have a power that has never been seen before. There is something in your voice that sends out some sort of sound waves that enable you to stop time in the area that you shout into. At the moment though, we’re unable to figure out a way to restart time after you’ve stopped it, so please watch what you’re doing while you’re here. I can only assume that this is the first time you’ve used this time stopping power you possess?’

Chris nodded his head.

‘I thought so’ came back the reply. ‘And as to your other question, I think the reason that you couldn’t stand to see the others being hurt was because you were able to do something that the clone wasn’t able to do.’

‘And what was that?’ asked Chris.

‘Well despite all that has happened to you in your life, you still have the ability to care about people, something that the clone was unable to do, because it’s something that cannot be pre-programmed into another living person. You develop and learn to understand that only over time and experience as you grow up. The clone never had that chance because he was pre-programmed, so he could only care about the mission he’d been sent to carry out. Nothing else in life mattered to him but when you saw your friends being hurt, your caring side resurfaced and broke the hold that the clone had over you. Also, we’ve discovered something else about you.’

‘What’s that?’ asked Chris.

And the Doctor continued, ‘Well Chris, when we examined the original Albus Dumbledore that had been put into cryo genic sleep, we had to do some blood tests which helped to confirm his identity. We’d gotten them mixed up with the blood tests that we took from you before you went on the mission. When we realized our mistake, we corrected it and changed over to the other blood sample and it was then that we noticed something peculiar. It would appear that you are related to Dumbledore.’

At this startling piece of news the Doctor paused to allow Chris to absorb what had just been said.

Chris just sat there with a look of total astonishment on his face. And when he finally spoke it was in a quiet stammering voice.

‘Are, are you sure Doctor?’

‘Yes we’re sure Chris. You’re a direct descendent from Albus. You’re descended from him on his mother’s, brother’s side. Which I suppose would make him some sort of great great great, uncle (I’m not sure just how many greats), of yours. And you’re also descended from another powerful wizard; you’re also a descendant of Harry James Potter who defeated an evil wizard called Voldemort about 400 years ago. And if the clone had succeeded in his quest to change history, you could very well have not been born. Alternatively you could have turned out to be a completely different person to who you are now. Anyway Chris, have you decided for definite whether or not you would like to join the team here at T.E.C.H. yet?’

To which Chris replied, ‘Yes, I think I will join the team. But what if something similar to what occurred with the clone happens again? I don’t think I could go through all that again.’

‘Well’, replied the doctor, ‘you’ll be trained on how to block out the type of thoughts that are given out by such people and therefore making you less vulnerable to attack. You’ll also be fully trained to use your powers and abilities to combat this ever happening again. By the way, I should really apologize at this stage. I sent you into a dangerous situation without being properly trained. For that I’m truly sorry. That is one thing that will never happen again. From now on, before you go on any other mission, you will enter into a full training programme.’

‘Not to worry doctor’, said Chris ‘maybe it was for the best that this happened. It just goes to show that we’re not all invulnerable, but I’ll tell you right now, it was really scary not having control over your own actions. But thankfully, it all turned out for the best in the long run.’

Going back with Chris into the briefing room the Doctor said ‘Well you lot, that’s the debriefing over with, but I have a funny feeling that your adventures are just beginning’. And reaching for a glass of fruit juice he continued. ‘So let’s raise a glass, here’s to your next adventure, whenever that is. In the meantime you can all enjoy yourselves in the recreation area. God knows, after what you all have been through, you deserve it. Well Liz, if you could show Chris where our recreational area is.’

Liz rose from the table and led all of them out of the meeting room and along the corridor until they came to a large set of double doors. She opened these doors and Chris walked into the room which appeared to be a vast gymnasium. There was a large screen television, table tennis table, snooker tables and much, much more. At last Chris and the others started to relax and enjoy themselves.

~#~#~#~#~#

That’s the end of this story. Please let me know what you think. And should I try and get it published using my original story and not this one which I adapted slightly for the Potter Universe?

There is a new T.E.C.H. story to come soon. So look out for T.E.C.H. part two: - The Pirion Affair about an Alien shape shifter who crash lands on earth and uses the time machine to escape to the past.